FateStay Night: Ouroboros
by InfamouslyHandsome
Summary: Throughout the three main routes Shirou was always destined to summon Saber. Yet, what if that night the third-rate magus had summoned Archer? If there's a possibility, then it's a probability. Even if the outcome has less than 1 percent chance of happening, it can still happen. The gears will turn once more as dreams and ideals clash with reality. What will the Ally of Justice do?
1. Night of Fate

Prologue:

The sound of metal clashing against metal had pulled on me. It demanded that I look to where two oddly garbed beings that appeared straight out of the summer comiket were fighting.

Whether they were cosplayers or not didn't matter in the end. The weapons they were using were surreal.

A foreign male with blue hair sporting a blue... jumpsuit, I guessed that's what it was, carrying a red lance. The mad grin etched onto his face was insinuating his excitement for battle.

And the Blue Man's opponent. Probably the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Petite and appearing to be in her late teens, with a slender physique and soft, white skin. Elegant in every sense of the word. Her hands were curled, one atop another, as if holding onto a weapon. An invisible weapon?

I didn't get to study either warrior further, as the two launched themselves towards each-other and another clash of steel was heard. Sparks flew and instantly both tried to press on for an advantage. The Blue haired man was obviously the faster of the two, but the deceivingly quick blonde was no slouch either. I noticed that the lance-man was having a hard time breaking through the blonde's defense, the knight simply parrying the lancer's assault before responding with her own counter.

The entire exchange probably lasted less than five seconds.

If I had been in somewhat calmer state of mind maybe I'd have hidden myself and kept observing. As it was, the clash of these two titans had only made me fear for the danger they imposed. There was a gust of wind blowing at me as a result of the force from the two fighter's swings. I wouldn't be surprised if they could destroy buildings with that kind of strength. Rather, I'm sure they could, judging from the few decently sized craters littered around them...

So with some precaution, I intended to step away while not cutting off my sight from the spectacle and go home to convince myself that I hadn't seen anything. Or so that was the plan until...

The shuffle of my movements was loud enough for both the combatants to notice me.

"Whose their?!" shouted the Spear man.

It took me less than a second to understand two things. One: I was done for, and two: I should run.

* * *

 _Earlier That Day_

Wake up. Exercise. Practice a bit of Structural Analysis. Make to school. Greet my friend, Issei. Help around school. Head to work. Head home. Cook dinner. Practice again and sleep.

This was my usual daily routine. Or at least, it had been. But the last few days had made me feel off lately. Maybe it was how the rise of gas leaks accidents and missing people seemed suspiciously correlated. To me, at least.

Perhaps it was how my under classmate and friend, Sakura Matou, seemed to be more distant lately.

Or maybe it was how the school idol's, Rin Tohsaka's, presence seemed oddly more noticeable to me lately.

Well, the raven haired teen's presence seemed to allure pretty much everyone in school. I, myself, didn't find her as alluring as everyone else, not to say I didn't think she was pretty, I simply never gave the school beauty that much thought. Not until recently, that is.

Regardless, I tried to brush off these disturbances. I simply felt that they weren't my business to intrude on, or in the case of the gas leaks, couldn't do much about them.

But I did find myself curious about Rin's case. Specifically, how she was noted to have visited the Archery Club grounds with some frequency as of late. Tohsaka's visits themselves wouldn't garner much attention from anyone, but it had struck a chord within me how ritually she has been doing it. If it had been once or twice it could be written down as a passing interest in the art of marksmanship. But from the time period she had begun her ventures up to the present suggested that Tohsaka would have either joined or, at the very least, lost interest.

Tohsaka had never shown any interest in clubs. It was a wonder how the school idol was able to get away with not joining any clubs, even though it's mandatory to join at least one club in Homurahara Academy. Yet, given how Tohsaka is the top student of our grade, how well liked by the teachers she's become, and an overall popular girl... go figure.

But I'm digressing.

I'm not so sure as to having the right answer, but there's been this inkling suspicion in me that believes Rin Tohsaka has been looking for Sakura.

I didn't know why, nor had any evidence to prove it, but it was the small details that made me come to that conclusion. Sakura's tense frame as she crossed paths with Tohsaka. And how Tohsaka herself would give a sideways glance towards Sakura at the same time. Sakura would try to evade the twin-tailed, raven haired girl as much as possible; yet I would sometimes catch the contemplative looks both girls would give each other when the other wasn't looking.

I don't believe that Rin has any sinister intentions towards the violet haired girl. Quite honestly, that being my only plausible excuse in case someone asked me, I wasn't sure why I wanted to go to the Archery Club building in the first place other than to quell my own selfish concerns and curiosity.

My curiosity proved pointless, however, when I made my way back home after finding out by a secondhand source that practice had been canceled... which I learned after almost receiving a kendo stick to the head. I didn't feel disheartened or bitter at having wasted time. Just disappointment at my luck today.

So it was with these thoughts in mind that I made it to the school courtyard when I heard that fateful clash of steel.

* * *

I turned full sprint back to the school building. My senses were at an all time high as adrenalin began to pump into my brain. There was a somewhat familiar voice yelling out 'Wait, Saber!', but I couldn't quite recognize who it was. It didn't matter, as I was more focused on getting myself away from those monsters.

I did not dare turn around to see if I was being chased. It wasn't until I reached the school's second floor corridor that I deemed it safe enough to check for any pursuers.

"Well, what do we have here?" a masculine voice inquired.

I jumped back in surprise. The voice sounded close, yet there was nobody around me. As I searched my immediate area, a dim blue light suddenly materialized into the blue haired man from earlier just a few steps before me.

"Damn. Didn't expect for someone to have been around during my fight with the blondie." the man sighed resignedly. He wasn't even looking towards me, rather inspecting his lance lazily held in his right hand. "I really hate to be the one to do this, but orders are orders. Can't leave any witnesses. Deadmen tell no tales, and all that" he spoke as he approached as a predator would its prey.

"What?" a squeak escaped from me. My legs were shaking, but I couldn't force them to run, barely managing my right foot to take a step back.

"Sorry, kid. Nothing personal, just curse your crappy luck for being at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Before I could even retort, I felt a sudden pain in my chest. It wasn't excruciating. it was a quick flash of pain, and I barely had the chance to look down at myself to see where it was coming from.

It was a stab to my heart. The stranger's red lance had pierced me.

The blue haired man had disappeared by the time I looked up again but could still hear his voice disembodied. "Sheesh. It's a sick joke for a hero being forced to act like this. My master really is a shitty person."

My body was feeling too heavy, I fell to my left side and my eyes began to lose focus. I could suddenly hear yelling from the stairway.

There was a strong smell of iron and a wet feeling spreading around my torso. I realized it was my own blood.

"...If his heart was hit, there's no way of saving him..."

 _It was the female voice from earlier_. I though haphazardly

It was here where I felt myself enter and leave consciousness several times. I couldn't move, but my unfocused eyes tried to make out recognizable figures.

"...Why are you here!?..."

"...Why did you have to pick this hour on this day to be here!?.."

"...Will he be well...?" another feminine voice asked with a hint of concern.

I saw two frames. Both female, one in red and the other in blue. Both were nothing more than fuzzy images in my eyes.

"...There's still a way..."

There was a sudden weight on my chest and almost immediately a red light filled my unfocused vision before I once more lost consciousness.

* * *

It was darker outside once I had come to my senses.

I felt very tired and could feel an ache in my chest. If it weren't for a fact that I was on school grounds, I would have believed it all to be a horrible dream. There was no pool of blood. Only a patch of crimson on my uniform shirt from where I was stabbed, and I noted that my shirt was no longer teared as well.

While forcing myself to stand, I suddenly stumbled to my knees. I blinked several times and sensed my sight regaining its focus. It was here, bent down, where I noticed a red gem necklace that was lying next to me.

It was the only clue left by the the pair that both found and healed me.

I pocketed it.

* * *

Fuyuki City was quiet.

The street lights guided my path to the Emiya residence.

It was all I had left from my late father. The way home left me thinking about the recent events and the surprise I had from the lack of any damage from the swordswoman's and lancer's confrontation. I expected small craters, cuts on walls, holes on the ground. Yet nothing was out of place. As if nothing had happened in the first place.

Once reaching the entrance of the residence, I made it to the living room and crashed onto the floor to rest. Safe to say I was exhausted, but felt much better than when I woke up at school. I lifted my shirt and traced my fingers over the area of skin that was pierced with the red lance.

Not even a scar was left.

I felt uneasy. Everything pinpointed to being a dream, yet I knew better. Whatever those two cosplayers were, they were using magic. The lance-man's disappearing trick was magic, too. For anyone else, magic would be a childish explanation. But I knew it was true.

I was a magus, after all. A crappy one, yet a magus all the same.

And as my late father, Kiritsugu, had taught: 'To use magic is to walk with death'. In simple terms, once someone has learned of magic, and practiced the craft, their life would be in danger.

I was tired. I felt my body wanting to rest, and for a moment I was about to slip into the realm of dreams when...

TING

I quickly rolled to my right to dodge a stab where my head previously rested. I felt fear creep at me as I saw my reflection produced by the steel from the same weapon that had nearly killed me a few hours ago.

The bell that Kiritsugu had hanged from the ceiling had alarmed me of the arrival of a trespasser. My adoptive father had always been paranoid about unexpected guests for some reason...

I guess his paranoia paid off.

"Damn it, kid. I wanted to make your death quick and painless as possible and you show me your gratitude by staying alive?" the lance-man complained angrily. He pulled his weapon out of the now teared wooden floor.

I quickly grabbed the nearest obect to me, which was a poster my guardian brought home the night before. I used my _Reinforcment_ magic to make it more durable.

"Now, I guess I'll have to make your death more painful!" the older male declared with a feral toothy grin. "Enough to make sure you'll want to stay dead!"

With speed I could barely keep up with my eyes, the lance-man leaped towards me. I would freely admit that my arms rose, not from experience, but instinctively, to block the lance's pierce with the reinforced rolled poster. Thankfully, it was enough to slide the lance off course, only managing to graze my cheek.

"So magecraft, huh?" The feral man asked rhetorically. "Now this might be more interesting than I thought!".

I saw no point to try and fight this guy. It was obvious to me who was stronger; so seeing how bad my situation was, I did what was left for me to do.

I ran.

The lancer-man was hot on my trail, so with escape being my priority, I threw myself towards the nearest exit, a glass sliding door that lead to the backyard.

CRACK!

In pursuit for something stronger than a poster, I headed towards the shed in my backyard. The same shed where I would tinker with machines. A room full of wrenches, large keys, and the like. The spot where I would secretly practice the few magic spells I knew.

Hearing steps getting increasingly louder, I turned to see the blue man thrust his weapon at me. I quickly raised my reinforced poster and unrolled it for cover. The stress produced by the force of the lance was too strong for my item. It was only natural for it to break.

The recoil produce sent me soaring into my workshop.

"I don't get it." spoke my attacker, "Your able to use magecraft yet your only able to use weak spells. Maybe if your situation had been different you could have been the seventh. Well...too bad for you, I guess."

I turned to him, my back facing the ground. I crawled backwards to create some space, but I knew deep down that it was pointless.

I was going to die here.

There was no way I could beat this guy. He was faster, stronger, and more experienced than I.

I was going to die here.

Even if I escaped, this guy was most likely going to keep hunting me down.

I was going to die here.

It was frustrating that my life was going to end before I even got to accomplish my dream.

And suddenly a memory flickered into my mind. A giant fire consuming homes, streets, people; burning everything and everyone indiscriminately. A Hell that I was all too familiar with. A Hell where I both 'died' and was 'born' again. Where a boy that was beyond saving met a man desperately looking for someone to save...

I didn't want to die here.

I couldn't die here.

"...I won't die here..." I found myself saying.

The blue-man paused his assault to look at me with curiosity. "What can you possibly do as you are now, kid?" the man ask with sardonic amusement. "Perhaps you could have been a Master, even with your pathetic magic circuits, you would have had at least a chance to survive!" he spoke with a chuckle.

"I won't die here! Not yet! Not when I haven't even come close to accomplishing my dream! And definitely not against someone who kills people as if it were a sport!" I felt my prana flowing through me, magical energy resonating with my desire to keep living and searching for some way to materialize it.

If my attacker was fascinated by my demonstration of resolve, he didn't show it, opting to take another step and thrust his spear at me. Yet mid-thrust, the lancer-man was not staring at me, rather, he was staring _below me_

I searched down and saw blue electricity flowing out of my hand. Which had been place over a spell circle that I had even forgotten was there.

"A Servant Circle!?" the blue-man asked in shock, consequently pausing his attack.

The familiar blue materialization occurred. A humanoid light form gave shape to a man. A man that seemed eerily familiar, yet I knew for a fact I had never seen this man before. He was tanned, with white hair, well-toned; garbed with a black, skin tight body armor covered by a red coat.

There was another burst of magic, this time from the summoned man, and twin swords appeared within his hands, clashing against the lance that was being held before him. The lance-man skidded away to make some distance. No doubt to assess the situation.

This brief respite allowed me to take in my new guest.

For some reason I felt a small headache by just looking at him.

I could only stare at his back in confusion. There was something about him. A certain fascination crossing with admiration.

 _TSSS_

I grunt in pain, on my right hand there is suddenly a symbol I don't recognize being burned onto my hand. I can somewhat give it the form of a...bow?

"I must ask you." His voice was deep and detached. Icy, even. Yet it cut the intense atmosphere like a hot knife would against butter and manages to distract me from my new tattoo, "Are you my master?"

I was once more confused and somewhat afraid, but at the same time I was mesmerized as he turned to face me.

My amber eyes met his steel gray.

I would never forget this moment, I decided.

This moment where fate had us meet.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading this prologue. Depending on the reception I may continue this story or not.**

 **I hope you enjoy the take of Shirou summoning Archer. This won't be a yaoi story, rather a 'How Shirou and Archer will influence eachother and, therefore, the storyline'.**

 **Updates will be irregular. I'm thinking maybe once a month but that'd depend on the audience. Would you guys prefer short chapters in shorter timespans or longer chapters in longer timespans?**

 **As for romance: Unsure! I feel inclined for a 'harem' but it may go any of the heroines way! Mostly depends on how Shirou's growth plays out.**

 **Please review! Questions may or may not be anwered, No promises! That's all for now!**

 **-InfamouslyHandsome**


	2. Winter Days, A Fateful Night: Part 1

"By the calling of your summons, I, the Servant-Class Archer, have responded to your will." the tanned man suddenly broke the silence, "I ask of you again: are you my Master?".

Sill unable to voice my thoughts, I stared dumbly at the red garbed stranger. He appeared to notice my troubled state and turned towards the direction the blue themed lancer had fled.

"The other Servant seems to still be nearby. Your instructions, Master?" It was obvious for me to note that he seemed to assume that I am his 'Master'. I honestly had no idea what was going on.

It took a moment for me to stand up and collect my thoughts while trying to make either head or tails of the situation.

"I..." my voice finally returned, "I would like you to explain to me what's going on," I ask as politely as possible. I ignored the uncertainty my voice held in exchange for appearing more assured of myself than I actually was.

The tanned man raises an eyebrow, "I see... I was summoned by an irregular Master." He sighs. I can feel the disappointment and resignation wave off from him. "Oh well, I suppose it falls onto me to inform you." He gives a noncommittal shrug. "But that can wait until after I deal with the enemy.", at this, the white-haired man exited the shed without even sparing a glance back.

I stood in my spot dumbfounded by the man's behavior.

What the hell was that!?

I chased after this new stranger only to catch sight of both him and the lance-man facing each other in my yard. They were silent but the tension was so thick you could cut it with a kitchen knife.

"So you came? Nice." Spoke the blue intruder, "I'm okay with people who get down to business." my attacker grabbed his lance and positioned himself for battle. Like so, he gazed towards my guest's weapons, "You don't strike me as a saber-class servant, and I already fought the official one. Who are you?"

I took notice that he called the white-haired man a 'servant'.

"Heh. Well, you don't seem like the proper single-combat type either. I'm guessing you're an Archer?" As he spoke, the blue-man relaxed his stance, "Ah, I forgot my manners. As you can tell by my weapon, I'm Lancer." my would-be-killer introduced himself with a confident smile. You wouldn't think him to be the kind of guy that almost murdered someone.

On a side-note, I do recall the my tanned savior introducing himself as the 'Servant-Class Archer'. Lancer's deduction is spot on...

As it appears, the identified Archer neither responds nor moves from his spot. Rather, he turns his head to regard me as if expecting a command.

It took a moment for me to connect the dots. Archer is a 'Servant' and I'm his 'Master'. It's only natural for a servant to await his master's command before doing battle.

Honestly, I found the idea of commanding another human being sickening.

"Go ahead, Archer, take out your bow. I'll wait for you." the Lancer-class servant offered courteously.

With Archer's gaze still on me, I now understood what exactly he was expecting of me: Permission to fight Lancer. And with Lancer's battle-thirsty personality, it's obvious he wants to fight, too.

But I had to at least try and prevent the situation coming to that. It's true that this guy is dangerous, but maybe I could reason with him. With that in mind, I took a few steps forward to talk with the blue-haired man.

"Excuse me, Lancer, we don't have to fight! There has to be anoth-"

"Quiet, kid!" Lancer shot me down, "You seem to still not get what's going on here. Archer and I were fated to fight a battle to the death the moment we were summoned. So you better send out your Servant to fight or I'll just go ahead and skewer the both of you." he threatened nonchalantly. It was frightening how easily he spoke of killing people.

I wanted to keep arguing and try to stop Lancer, but I could tell it would just irritate him more. So I turned to my Servant who had not once stopped regarding at me.

Yet this time I felt as if he was studying me with an intensity that wasn't there before.

With great reluctance, I resigned myself to the fight that was to come and spoke loud and clear, "Alright, then. Archer...defeat Lancer!"

The instant I commanded him to fight, I felt a sudden drain in my body. There was a shift in the atmosphere around the white-haired man, a gust surged and flowed around his body. The wind suddenly turned blue, and it was then that I understood the sudden gust for what it was: magical energy, also known as Prana. As the Prana finally settled down, the clash finally began.

It was almost like being at the school yard again.

 _'Cling!'_

Scratch that. It was the same exact intensity of the school yard battle.

Both warriors moved almost faster than my eyes could keep up with. What I could see was Lancer being the first to attack, thrusting his lance aimed towards Archer's chest, who himself used both swords to block the strike. What followed after the clash of steel was a volley of movements that sent sparks flying.

The grunting of exertion from both men, the cracking of the earth beneath them, and the clash of steel upon steel were the only sounds to be heard.

Lancer was the faster of the two; swinging, pulling, and thrusting his red weapon at superhuman speeds wherever he could see an opening. All while donning a feral smile.

On the other end, Archer was not dealing so well. The red-garbed man held a poker face during the entire exchange, but even I could tell he was having some difficulty keeping up with the blue-themed-lancer. Yet Archer would jump, dodge, and deflect the other man's blows just as quickly as they were launched at him.

But what captivated me the most was how the Hero of the Bow fought.

Although, independently of how the tanned man was barely keeping up, I admired how he matched Lancer blow for blow. It was as if he was able to predict his movements before Lancer thought of them himself.

Then and there I decided that I wanted to learn how to fight like him.

* * *

(Third Person)

"Are you sure it is wise to be about at this time of night, Master?" the blond knight inquired at her companion.

"I already told you to call me by my name, Saber!" the teen girl scolded hotly.

"Please forgive me, Rin. I suppose it's a habit I will need to work on. But you still haven't answered my question." The raven-haired twin-tailed teen looked away from her armored protector with an imperious expression.

"And I told you that I won't be able to sleep at night if Lancer does follow through with killing that guy."

"While I do admire your strong sense of responsibility, Rin, there is no need for you to endanger yourself by coming out with me at night. I am more than capable of-"

"No!" Interrupted the taller female, "I can very much handle myself, Saber. At least enough to hold my own against a Servant long enough to summon you with a Command Spell." Rin then turned towards her companion to look straight in her eyes. "Also, what kind of Second Owner would I be if I let someone under my watch die?"

The petit blond sighed resignedly at her master. Honestly, she could be quite stubborn but very well-meaning, as the knight knew firsthand.

"Very well, then. But at least promise to maintain a safe distance while I fight. It would not do well for enemies to take advantage of your presence while on the battlefield." Saber requested earnestly.

"Alright, but don't think I won't step in if I see a chance opening." The magus countered, "Also, if anyone even dares to try and attack me, I'll make sure they learn their lesson!" Rin promised with wink.

Saber couldn't help but show a soft smile. Honestly, she was endeared to her Master's strong will.

"Fair enough."

 _'Cling!'_

The familiar sound of battle echoed into the experienced knight's ears. Saber instictively brought out her weapon and pointed it to where the source came from.

"Rin, there is a Servant battle just up ahead!" She warned.

"A servant battle?! You mean there's more than one?!" the raven-haired girl gawked in surprise.

"Yes. I am sure one of them is Lancer, judging by our earlier reasoning. But I'm curious to know who the other one could be. Your instructions, Rin?"

The young magus mulled over her options. While it's true that she, like Saber, was undestandibly _very_ curious to discover who this other Servant is; it's not something she wanted to risk Emiya's life over. Yet she was conflicted between what she should do as a magus and what she wanted to do as any concerned person would want to do.

"We'll observe first. If Emiya is involved in the battle, we'll rush in to save him." the Tohsaka heir decided.

"And if the boy is the master of this other servant?"

Emiya? A master? Hah! To that to be true would imply that he was actually a magus. Maybe once pigs start flying!

* * *

As the battle waged on, as soon as Archer had an opportunity he leaped to create some distance.

"You fool!", yelled the red lance warrior while he chased after his prey at superhuman speed.

As the tanned man touched the ground he immediately had to raise both swords to block his attacker's incoming weapon and launched a roundhouse kick to the blue themed Lancer.

As a result, Lancer was sent skidding back a few meters.

"Hahaha! Not bad, Archer! I honestly didn't expect you to keep up with me," Lancer declared excitedly. It's incredible to me how he barely even appeared winded from the entire exchange.

"I'm honestly disappointed, Lancer," Archer responded in return. It was barely noticeable, but he seemed ever so slightly more exhausted than his opponent. "I actually expected you to be far more challenging. Being who you are and all." the Hero of the Bow taunted.

"Hoh? And who am I, might I ask?"

"With your characteristics, only five Lancers come to mind. But with your agility, you stand head and shoulders above them all. You're none other the Ireland's Child of Light: Cu Chulainn," Archer spoke with finality.

Lancer frowned slightly before taking a pause. He makes an irritated expression before regarding his enemy fully, "Damn, and here I was actually enjoying the fight. Well, my Master is ordering me to finish you off. So, how 'bout we kick it up a notch?!",

Lancer finishes with a war-cry and leaps forward. The Irishman exerts a great force as Archer tries to block off the attack. Only for Archer's sword to break upon the force of contact.

"I got you!" Lancer crows as he prepares to stab his opponent. The impending red lance seems to almost touch upon the tanned man's chest before the familiar clang of steel resounds once more.

It took me a moment to notice that where there was once only the handle of Archer's black sword, was now an exact copy of the same sword.

I could have sworn that Archer's sword had broken. And as to prove me right, next to me were shards of what used to be Archer's black sword. I take a moment to scrutinize it.

 _Pieces of what used to be Kanshou, also known as Gan-Jiang. One of the 'married' twin swords conforming of Kanshou and Bakuya._

I reel in and freeze. I realize that I had unintentionally used Structural Analysis on something without touching it. Well, that was a first. Before I could try and analyze the pieces again, it converts decays once more into Mana.

Gathering my bearings, I focus my attention on the ongoing battle. Lancer is continuing his onslaught on Archer, growing more and more tenacious as he keeps shattering through Archer's swords as if they were made of glass. I scrutinize Archer's hands, studying how he keeps producing those swords until I notice a clear, yet faint, streams of blue. Prana, I recognize. But does that mean he's using...?!

"This is getting annoying, Archer!" The Irishman declares with clear frustration on his face. "How long are you going to keep this up?"

"I don't know, Lancer. How long are you going to keep fighting?" The white-haired man responds sarcastically as he disengages with his enemy.

Lancer clicks his tongue at Archer's remark before he, too, creates more space between them. "I do admit it's been fun, Archer. I never would have thought that a single bowman would ever be able to challenge, let alone keep up, with me.", as he spoke, the blue-themed Lancer positions himself in an awkward stance. "But all good things must come to an end...".

Lancer points his red spear towards Archer, a sudden burst of red emits from the spear's tip and covers the entire pole-arm. I feel a dark sensation coming from the weapon. Whatever Lancer is about to do is clearly dangerous. But I honestly don't know what it is or how I can stop it! Damn it!

Archer himself doesn't even move from his position. I wonder just how much of it is calm reassurance and how much is him actually knowing what's going to happen. What the hell is he thinking!

"Well, it was nice knowing you Archer," Lancer pulls back his arm for a throw, "I hope we can fight again someday, 'til then, rest in piece! Gae..Bol-"

"Saber, go!"

Lancer's attention was then diverted by a sudden blur of yellow, gray, and blue. A strike that almost took Irishman's head was blocked by the red lance that no longer emitted an ominous energy. The clash of weapons lasted only a moment, which was long enough for me to see Archer's possible savior.

It was her again. The elegant beauty from the school yard battle. I was once more captivated by her.

I wasn't alone in my musing as Archer, too, was gazing at the blond knight. Yet unlike me, who stared in awe, the tanned man held an expression of mixed surprise, longing, and sadness. It lasted a few seconds before his countenance fell into its usual eye-closed coldness.

With the turn of his head, Archer stared back at me. Our eyes met and I suddenly felt my vision shift.

I felt a headache hit me in full force.

* * *

 _And suddenly a memory flickered into my mind. A giant fire consuming homes, streets, people; burning everything and everyone indiscriminately. A Hell that I was all too familiar with. A Hell where I both 'died' and was 'born' again. Where a boy that was beyond saving met a man desperately looking for someone to save..._

 _I didn't want to die here._

 _I couldn't die here._

 _"...I won't die here..." I found myself saying. "I won't die here! Not yet! Not when I haven't even come close to accomplishing my dream! And definitely not against someone who kills people as if it were a sport!" I felt my prana flowing through me, magical energy resonating with my desire to keep living and searching for some way to materialize it._

 _"A Servant Circle!?" the blue-man asked in shock, consequently pausing his attack._

 _The familiar blue materialization occurred. A humanoid light form gave shape to a woman. She was fair skinned, with blond hair made into a bun, petite; garbed with a blue dress, steel plate chest armor with arm guards and with what seemed to be magic spells crafted onto them._

 _There was another burst of magic, this time from the summoned woman. She extended both arms to her right side, holding onto something that wasn't there, or was there, against the lance that was being held before her. The lance-man skidded away to make some distance. No doubt to assess the situation._

 _This brief respite allowed me to take in my new guest._

 _I could only stare at her back in confusion. There was something about her. A certain fascination crossing with admiration._

 _TSSS_

 _I grunt in pain, on my right hand there is suddenly a symbol I don't recognize being burned onto my hand. I can somewhat give it the form of a...bow?_

 _"I must ask you." Her voice was firm yet kind. Yet it cut the intense atmosphere like a hot knife would against butter and manages to distract me from my new tattoo, "Are you my master?"_

 _I was once more confused and somewhat afraid, but at the same time I was mesmerized as she turned to face me._

 _She was beautiful._

 _My amber eyes met her sky blue._

 _I would never forget this moment, I decided._

 _This moment where fate had us meet._

* * *

I fell my headache lift a bit.

I tried to process what I just experienced.

That was me, I was sure of it. And all that had just happened, yet just not as it did. If any of that made sense...

But I summoned Archer. Not Saber. That much is certain. I scanned around for Archer, who had moved to stand a few feet closer to me. He said nothing as he preferred to analyze the ongoing fight.

"Damn it." Grunted Lancer as he stood several meters away from Saber, "Two against one is just too much for me right now. Guess I'll just have to cut my losses..." declared the Irishman.

"Are you running away, Lancer!?" Saber demanded indignantly.

"Yeah, I am." he responded nonchalantly as he leaped towards the roof my house, "Your welcome to follow. Just know I'll kill you if you do." the blue-themed Lancer threatened hotly.

Saber seemed to still want to chase after Lancer regardless as she prepared to jump.

"That's enough, Saber!", a voice commanded. And as per command, Saber halted completely.

"Rin!" Saber turned to complain at the sudden order. The blond's voice seemed eerily familiar to me, as I recognized it from my sudden...vision? fake memory? Was it even a memory to begin with?

Wait, did she just say Rin?

Lo and behold, the sudden intruding character standing at the entrance of my property was none other than Rin Tohsaka, Homurahara's own school idol. With a hand on hip and a smile that seemed a bit off due to the tense atmosphere, the twin-tailed girl gave off vibes that screamed danger to me.

"Good evening, Emiya-kun. You seem to be doing rather well tonight." she commented kindly, yet there was a terse undertone to her words. Although as for why, I had no idea.

"Tohsaka...good evening." I greeted unconsciously. I was at a loss of words and with a lot of questions in my mind. Yet the biggest one right now was, "What are you doing here?", I found myself asking.

Tohsaka tilted her head to the side, smile never faltering, and Saber, stood at her side with her invisible sword in hand. "I think the one who should be asking questions here is me. Don't you think so, Emiya-kun?" she asked/demanded.

At her question, Saber had pointed her sword at Archer, who stood at my right side.

I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine as I faced both of them.

At my side, I think I heard Archer curse his luck under his breath.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **I'M BACK!**

 **I'm terribly sorry for the long wait! I promised to update, at latest, every two weeks, yet over two months has passed. Serves me right for thinking I could easily manage that.**

 **I originally had half this chapter done when I published the prologue. The problem came when college hit me with project after project. I'm not making excuses, I just feel that you guys deserve an explanation.**

 **With all that said, I do have an outline for the next few chapters. And now that I'm on vacation I can dedicate more time to this story. I won't make any promises again, but I will say that I hope to crank out at least three more chapters before the end of this year as a make-up. Four, if I'm feeling ambitious.**

 **As for some explanations:**

 **Archer isn't going to try and kill Shirou so early on. He's taking a 'Wait and See' approach. On that note, Archer will be at base stats, only slightly hindered by being Shirou's Servant.**

 **Saber's stats are going to be higher, of course, due to being Rin's Servant.**

 **Thank you for reading! Please review and questions may or may not be answered! That's all for now!**

 **-InfamouslyHandsome**


	3. Declaration Of War

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/Stay Night... Although I wish I did.**

 **Author's Notes are at the bottom of the chapter.**

* * *

(Day 3, 12 AM)

It was once upon a time when I returned from middle school after a long, sunny August day to which I was roughly received by Taiga for coming back bloody and bruised from having fought a group of high school bullies that were harassing a freshman on my way back home.

My guardian had then proceeded to give me a harsh lecturing about 'staying away from unnecessary fights' that was emphasized by her use of Tora-shinai, her weapon of choice for solving any and all matters by force, to which I was forced to get reacquainted with for a near hour.

Taiga's lecture, as always, was centered on the points of not having a sense of self-preservation and learning to say 'no' to helping others, particularly when my own safety was in danger.

Of course, I would always focus on arguing for the latter, as the former escaped me completely.

Oh, sure, I do understand self-preservation on a conceptual level. I don't go out purposefuly seeking pain or harm, as I naturally dislike pain. It's simply that most of time I tend to get in trouble when I try to save others, which then puts in the dangerous position they were in. Which results in me getting hurt.

...

I should clarify though that the sudden memory surfacing to the forefront of my mind was due to a good reason: If I didn't understand what having a sense of self-prrservation was back then, I think I do now.

I would bet that whatever that _thing_ ringing in the back of my mind was that same sense of which had eluded me until last night. It was just now that I recognized it for what it was.

"So, Emiya-kun, I didn't know you were a magus." the raven haired teen known as Rin Tohsaka spoke abruptly as if pleasantly surprised, yet that smile seemed to be able to freeze hell itself. "Tell me, why didn't you ever bother to inform me about your presence in _my_ domain, _hmm_?"

"Inform you? Why should I have informed you, Tohsaka-san?" I asked with honest curiosity..

Tohsaka's smile twitched for a fraction of a second, and I too would have missed it had I blinked, "Maybe because I'm the Second Owner of Fuyuki _perhaps?_ "

"Your the Second Owner!?"

"Of course I'm the Second Owner, are you an idiot?! What did you expect, some wrinkly old man or something?!"

"Actually, I sort of did." I confessed sheepishly, "But even so, I'm sorry. I was born and raised here in Fuyuki. My dad never introduced me to the Second Owner when he was alive and never bothered to tell me who it was. I was just told to lay low and shy away from performing magic in front of people who don't know about it."

Of course, I knew about the rule of not telling non-magi, but that went without saying.

There was a pause as Tohsaka stared me down with a searching look. Whatever she was looking for, she eventually gave up on it and released a sigh of exasperation.

"I guess I can let that one slide," she relented as she began to calm down, "though that doesn't mean I'm through with you!". And her wrath came back with full force...

"What did I do now?!"

Tohsaka raised her hand to perform a gun hand-sign, with her index finger pointed at me while her right hand fell onto her left forearm to steady the outstretched limb.

"I was originally considering having Saber cut both you and your servant down as punishment if you really were a magus that intentionally neglected informing me of your presence within my land..."

Damn, what a cut-throat death sentence. Literally.

"...But being as things are, as long as you accept to forfeit your Command Seals to me, I'll make sure no harm comes to you and promise to escort you safely to the church to have them relinquished."

So much of what Tohsaka said went over my head that I didn't know what to say.

"So what will it be, Emiya-kun?" the raven haired girl demanded, "Will we do this the easy way or the hard way?"

All eyes set on me, I found it even harder to think of something to say. Tohsaka's ice cold, piercing blue eyes alone already had me pinned down on the spot. Add in Saber's stoic countenance, that would unnerve just about anyone, and I was left with my back against the metaphorical wall. With both of them confronting me like this I almost gave in to my red coated schoolmate's demands immediately.

Yet before I could offer my tattooed hand to the pair of females, I felt another set of eyes bore into me. I slightly turned to regard Archer, who's expectant gaze stopped me in my tracks.

A challenging stare that sent the indirect message of 'Are you really that weak?' that set me off inside. It wasn't a reassuring look or a supportive one either. It was the type of look that someone who expects you to fail would send you.

It was completely condescending.

At that instance I felt a slight burning sensation within my chest. Not in the literal sense. Something that I wasn't quite used to was welling up inside of me. An emotion I'd only heard about, and even witnessed before, but never had I actually felt.

 _Anger_.

I was so surprised with myself that whatever anger I felt immediately disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Well, Emiya-kun?", the raven haired girl demanded, "I'm running out of patience here!"

"Hold on, Tohsaka-san!" I pleaded with both arms raised in surrender, "I honestly don't know what's going on here!".

And wasn't that the darn truth. I simply felt that being completely honest with the girl would be better for my health in the long run.

"Oh, really?", Tohsaka asked in a sarcastic tone, "I find that hard to believe being that there's a Servant that clearly belongs to you right in front of me!"

Rin then took a step forward and began to charge prana at the tip of her index finger.

"I'm being honest! I didn't even know what these were until you just told me right now!" I exclaimed while raising my tattooed hand to her.

"Well, then, how the hell do you explain your Servant, Mister Innocent!?"

"I didn't intentionally summon him! I was being cornered by Lancer and then he just suddenly appeared!" I heatedly confessed.

It was apparently the right thing to say as the sudden red and black prana orb that was formed suddenly dissipated from Tohsaka's fingertip.

"Explain." she commanded.

* * *

The shed that previously housed the summoning of Archer was left mostly intact. It was no surprise that this was the case, being that no fighting had actually occurred here.

I guided my...guests to the shed in order to prove my innocence, prevent a battle from breaking out and hopefully get an explanation for what's going on.

"Here it is." I pointed out the area where I was grounded by Lancer and where Archer was summoned from.

Rin took a step in front of me to get a better look at the summoning circle. "Saber, please wait outside. You too, Archer."

I saw the ever stoic Saber slightly nod and turn to leave. Archer, for his part, looked at me for instruction.

"I'll be fine", I responded with a nod to which he left to follow after the blond knight.

The summoning circle was still there, thankfully. I had initially thought that it would have disappeared after the ritual had been completed.

I waited for a few moments as I allowed Rin to inspect the incantations engraved within the circle. I felt somewhat nervous, as whether Tohsaka believed me or not would all come down to if this chalked symbol on the floor was convincing enough.

"So, what are your thoughts?" I asked somewhat tensely. Rin didn't even blink, preferring to give her full attention to the ritual circle on the floor as she responded.

"I'm thinking that you're even more of an idiot than what I originally thought." she growled out menacingly low.

 _Hah?_

"Hah?" I voiced out stiffly.

"It's just as I said!," she says as she turns to face me with clear frustration on her face, "Who the hell uses such an terrible ritual circle like this one in the first place!? Never mind the age! It's as if someone tried to fill out the smaller spaces but were missing some runes and thought _'hey, what if I use this one?!'_ Honestly, I'm not sure if you're lucky that it actually _worked_ or that it didn't just blow up in your face!"

Rant done with, Rin took a few moments to breath and calmed herself down.

"So you believe me then?".

Tohsaka gave me one last withering look before releasing an exhausted sigh.

"Honestly, I believed you the entire time," she confessed

 _Hah?_

"Hah?"

"When you confessed that you didn't know anything I had mostly believed you. I only really wanted to be a hundred percent sure it was the case. I was truly surprised that you were a magus, therefore I believe my reaction was completely justified" she stated haughtily.

"You're right." I ended up agreeing wholeheartedly. Although I felt that she had been just a tad bit too aggressive, I honestly couldn't fault her for her actions. In the end she was only trying to ensure her own safety and of those under her protection.

Tohsaka, for her part, looked somewhat pleased that I agreed with her.

"Now, with that said, let's go rendezvous with our Servants to your living room, Emiya-kun," the raven haired girl instructed/commanded as she led the way out.

...It wasn't lost on me how she was treating me as if she owned my home.

"By the way, Emiya-kun, why haven't you fixed the broken window?"

I glanced down at the shattered glass pieces lying on the wooden floor at the entrance of my home.

"...Magic like that is beyond me, Tohsaka-san."

"What?" she asked in clear surprise, "How's that possible? You held off Lancer until you summoned your servant, didn't you?"

"I couldn't even fight Lancer properly; he just kicked my butt the entire time." I admitted.

Rin hummed contemplatively. "Not even trying to make yourself look good?" she turned to look away in thought, "I see. When it comes you, what you see is really what you get, Emiya-kun."

* * *

(1:40 AM)

"The Holy Grail War, huh?" I asked more out of confirmation than anything. It took a while for Rin to roughly explain everything to me.

"Thay's right." the red clad magus nodded firmly, "Any questions so far?"

I was sure that there was a lot that was glossed over in favor of just giving me the general breakdown, but I couldn't hold it against Tohsaka. I was just grateful for any kind of explanation as it was...

 _'Seven Masters, who are magi, each summoning a legendary hero from a certain class to fight as their Servant, all for the sake of a wish granting device: the Holy Grail.'_

In all honesty, I'm not interested in any of this. Not even regarding the original purpose of why the Holy Grail War was created in the first place. I only see this ritual for what it truly is.

Bloodshed.

It was actually self-evident by the name of the competition: The Holy Grail _War_.

Having seen by first-hand account the power that the Servants have, I can confidently say that innocent people's lives will be endangered by the fights to come.

I suddenly looked down at my hand that was resting upon my living room table top.

"When you interro-" a chilling fake smile was sent to me by my raven-haired guest, "I mean, when you questioned me about being a Master, you referred to these as Command Spells. What exactly are they?"

Tohsaka took a sip from the tea I had prepared for her and Saber earlier before assuming a sort of lecture pose.

"In essence, the Command Spells are a form of insurance for a Master. They are basically what make someone a Master in the first place.", at this Rin raised her own left hand which held a red tattoo in the form of a straight line and two curves; completely different from my own Command Spells. "Every Master has a set of three command spells completely unique to them which grants them absolute control over their Servant. This ensures the Master's safety and the Servant's obedience in the particular case that the Servant and Master don't get along."

"Wait." I interrupt with a frown, "What do you mean by _absolute control_?"

Rin looks somewhat confused by my sudden terse tone, "I mean just as I said. The Command Spells allow for three commands of absolute obedience from the master to his or her servant."

I took in the appearance of my spells and look at them with newfound disgust. I hastily turn to Archer, who had been resting behind me at the corner of the room with his eyes closed, "I swear to you, Archer, that I won't ever use these Command Spells on you,". I make this promise with as much conviction as I could muster.

Archer cracks open an eye and it was clear that he wasn't pleased by my declaration, which somewhat confused me.

"Ehem," I heard Tohsaka call, "That's well and all, Emiya-kun, but you didn't let me finish."

Turning back into my initial position, I notice that Rin seemed somewhat amused at my plight and Saber, who was happily nibbling on some snacks I brought out for my guests earlier, nodded at me in a form of respect.

"While the Command Spells do allow for the Master to force their Servant to commit some...unsavory actions, they do offer their own perks. One great example would be to amplify a Servants ability through a command, allowing for the Servant to surpass their limits for a short amount of time. Another great function is the ability to bypass the laws of time and space."

Wait, what?

"You see, being that the Command Spells are provided by the Grail itself, it has a certain connection to it which allows for the Master's wish, no matter how ridiculous, to be fulfilled by his or her Servant as long as it is given as a command. So, even if you and your Servant are miles apart, simply commanding Archer to appear before you would allow him to cross time and space to be summoned by your side." the red clothed teen finished with a content smile. I instantly took note of how Tohsaka seemed to enjoy lecturing. It was oddly cute.

Shaking away the stray thought, I filed the information concerning the Command Spells into my mind. It's definitely going to prove useful in the future.

"Do you understand everything so far?" Rin asked me suddenly.

I take a moment to let everything settle in. "The individual words, sure."

"For a more detailed explanation you'll have to meet up with the overseer. All I can tell you now is...you have no choice but to fight and that Servants are very powerful familiars, so you should use yours well."

With that, Tohsaka took another sip from her cup.

Her declaration left me conflicted.

"Now then," she spoke up, this time her attention towards Archer, "from what Emiya-kun told me, I gather you're in an incomplete state, Archer?"

All eyes on Archer, the hero of the bow didn't even acknowledge the only other teen's words.

"Archer." Saber spoke out firmly from her place for the first time since entering my living room, "I believe my master asked you a question."

With that, Archer turned to Saber with an impassive expression, "I am under no command to give out compromising information to my master's enemies, Saber."

A tense atmosphere suddenly befell us. It was clear to me that his words were antagonizing Rin and Saber. And although it was cold, there was truth to them. We _are_ supposed to be enemies now, aren't we?

It was a grimm realization that I didn't want to acknowledge. But it was true, nonetheless

"Archer" I spoke out to reprimand him.

"No, no." Rin interrupted, "It's fine, Emiya-kun. He's right to be cautious of us. Whether it's true or not, the fact of the matter is that I'm poking at sensitive information from an enemy."

"Regardless, you've been a big help to me, Tohsaka-san. The least I can do is be forthcoming with anything you want to know." I said with a bow of my head.

There was a slight pause as I waited for a reply.

"You really have an outstanding character, Emiya-san." Saber finally spoke out approvingly, "Sadly, I can't say the same for your Archer."

The tanned older man didn't even bat an eye to the female knight's comment but didn't press the issue further. And with that the tense atmosphere finally settled down.

With a sigh, Rin stood up from her place.

"Okay then, shall we go?" she asked invitingly.

"Go? Go where?"

"To see the man who knows everything there is about the War" she declared as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "His place should still be open at this hour. If we leave now we can get there before midnight. You do want to know the reason behind the war, don't you?"

"Of course I do. But it's really late."

"Oh, you won't go? If you say so, it's your call." Rin then cocked her head to the side, "Well, what about you, Archer?"

The white-haired man regarded Rin silently before turning to me, "What I think is of no importance. The choice is ultimately up to you, Master." he said coolly.

Once again, the ball was in my court.

I stared back at Archer. There was something in his statement that bothered me but I decided to leave it alone. I turned towards Tohsaka and thought over her offer.

"Alright. We'll go." I accepted definitively.

* * *

(10:45 PM)

The streets of Fuyuki were dimly lighted as we made our way to Kotomine Church. It took us two bus rides to reach the place, as it was in the New Fuyuki area on the other side of town.

As it turns out, Kotomine Church was run by a priest under the same surname, Kirei Kotomine.

"So how does a priest become the overseer of a magus competition?" I asked curiously.

Rin paused as if to choose her words adecuately, "Well, for starters, being that the competition involves an object named the 'Holy Grail', it was only natural that the Church as a whole would be interested in it." the raven haired teen explained patiently as we made stepped down from the bus.

The church itself was slowly coming into view.

"So the Church wants it too?"

"Not really," she clarified, "what the Church wants is to check its veracity, or more exactly, find out if it's really 'miraculous' as its being said to be. You have to keep in mind that this hasn't been the first time that someones claimed to have found the Holy Grail. Therefore they're understandably skeptical about it."

"So, they are interested, but they're not holding their breath." I summarized to which Rin nodded.

"Yep. So, as you know, the Magus Association and the Church don't really see eye to eye on a lot of matters," She started off again.

"But the three families that founded the ritual needed a third party that would oversee the war, to make sure everyone upheld the rules set before the Third War. That's where the Church came in. While they were interested in the grail itself, they didn't really want to expend any resources on something that could end up being fake, that's why the Church was easily convinced in sending someone. The three families get an overseer for their ritual and the church could send someone to check out the claims about the grail."

"Wow," I said somewhat unnerved, "That's just so unnecessarily complicated."

Rin smiled sardonically at me, "Oh, Emiya-kun, the world of magi is full of lies, back-door deals, along with cloaks and daggers."

Our small group suddenly came to a halt as we stood before the entrance gate to Kotomine Church.

"Rin," Saber spoke out, "I feel an ominous presence here. If you don't mind, I would like to stand guard outside,"

"Very well, Saber" the teen consented easily.

We started to walk off slowly until..

"If you don't mind, Archer," Saber spoke out once more, "I'd feel much more comfortable if you waited outside with me."

Rin and I turned around to see Archer, who had been shadowing us from a short distance.

"Unfortunately, Saber, my job is to protect my Master. Not make you feel comfortable."

"Archer, stop being hard on Rin and Saber." I reprimanded seriously. "They're only trying to help out."

"With all due respect, _master_ , haven't you been a bit too trusting of these two?" The black and red garbed servant challenged.

 _What's with his attitude?_ I found myself thinking. I could understand being cautious of someone, but Archer is very distrustful of _everyone_.

"Listen, Archer, I've made it perfectly clear that I trust Rin. She's been honest and upfront with me so far and was kind enough to even spare us when we were at her mercy. At the very least I believe she deserves the benefit of the doubt."

I noticed that as I finished my reasoning to my Servant, Tohsaka turned away from me with a murmur that sounded close to 'You dummy'.

After a breif pause, Archer closed his eyes and sighed in resignation, "Very well. As you wish, master."

With that, the white haired man took a stance on the other side of the entrance gate to the Church.

 _Disaster prevented,_ I thought to myself with an inner sigh of relief. _Honestly, this guy is just looking to make enemies._

"Ready to go, Emiya-kun?" Tohsaka asked, shaking my thoughts.

"Yeah, let's go."

* * *

As we entered the church I began to understand just what Saber meant by 'ominous presence', which I noticed felt somewhat similar to the same one that the Fuyki Park I usually go to exudes. And I mean similar in the sense that there's a significant difference to them.

A few differences is that although the Fuyuki Park aura has a sense of dread and foreboding, it's also weak, or at least not as strong as it used to be. With the flow of time the sense that the park was dripped in was slowly easing away. This place, on the other hand, was simply sinister.

Could this place really even be considered a church? The aura here was cold, unkind and pretty dark, too. There was no warmth within these walls.

To make matters worse my nose was giving me the smell of something pretty nasty coming from the backdoor of the church hall...

I tried to ignore it as much as I could.

"I'll give you a heads up, Emiya-kun. This man, Kotomine Kirei, is my legal guardian. And although he is a priest, he's also a magus." I sent her a curious glance, "A hack of a magus, but a magus nonetheless. He's a fake priest through and through".

"You've never accepted my repeated invitations and now here you are, with an unusual guest." A deep voice boomed from the opposite side of the room.

As he spoke, the figure of a man cleared itself with the moonlight entering from the windows. The tall form of a priest in his mid thirties with brown hair who was donning a curious yet amused expression stood near the podium of the church. "I take it that this means he's the seventh, Rin?"

Rin said nothing, but she did gesture me with her head to move forward.

"I am Kirei Kotomine. What is your name, seventh Master?" the priest formally asked.

"Shirou Emiya"

There was a glint of curiosity from the older man, "Emiya?", he seemed to repeat to himself softly.

To my slight surprise, Kirei released a silent chuckle before returning to his serious countenance, "Then I assume that you are the Master of the Archer class, Shirou Emiya?"

"Yeah, I made a pact with Archer but this stuff about Masters and the Holy Grail War is still unclear to me." I confessed, "If a Master is supposed to be a proper mage you really should pick someone else for it."

"I see..." the older man spoke as he closed his eyes in thought, "this is serious indeed."

"You'll need to start from square one with him." Tohsaka chimed in from behind me.

With a beat, Kotomine began to explain all the finer details of the Holy Grail War in a dramatic fashion.

* * *

(11:25 P.M.)

"Rejoice, Shirou Emiya! For your wish will finally come true!", the priest declared behind me as both Tohsaka and I departed from Kotomine Church.

I tried not to pay the man much thought. And if I were being honest, the man, Kotomine himself, had really gotten on my nerves unlke anyone has ever done before.

If I were to ever see the man again it would be too soon, I decided.

"Have you concluded your business, Rin?" Saber inquired from nearby the entrance gates.

"Yes, we should go and head home, Emiya-kun. It's gotten rather late." Rin suggested.

I sent her an absent nod. My attention was more focused on Archer, who was leaning lazily with his eyes closed on the wall that surrounded the church.

"Archer, now that I've talked with the mediator about the Holy Grail War, I believe we should reaffirm our contract." I spoke as I approached him. "I've fully accepted the position of the seventh master of this war and I was hoping to ask for your help in it."

I offered my hand to him so we could seal the deal.

He didn't take it.

"That being the case, master, we should properly establish the conditions of our pact." The older man stated candidly.

I looked at my servant with well placed confusion.

"To be frank," Archer began, "as a magus you leave much to be desired. The mana I'm receiving from you is so low it's pitiful. As you've mentioned earlier, the only field of magic you are good at is Reinforcement, the lowest of magecraft. You are too trusting of others to the point of naïvety so much that you are willing to give out crucial information to potential enemies. And finally, as a result of all this, you'll only be a liability to anyone that would even _think_ of allying themselves with you."

As he finished speaking I could see fron the corner of my eyes both Tohsaka-san and Saber stare at Archer with clear shock. I'm sure it was due to my servant openly disrespecting me. That or simply because of witnessing a person openly bash someone so brutally.

I couldn't think of a proper response to give to Archer mostly because what he said was correct. From another perspective everything I've done up to this point has be so unmagus-like. Chief amongst them giving out knowledge of my abilities.

I've always known that I'm a terrible magus, barely third-rate at best, however that's never stopped me before from trying. But still...

"That's unfair, Archer. I was caught by surprise by the Holy Grail War. It's not like I've been training myself to fight in this competition my entire life, so judging me based on that frame isn't just at all." Was the only argument I could muster at the moment.

"Regardless, you ultimately decided to still particilate in this war anyways. You had the choice to walk away and you should have taken it considering my previous points. So why didn't you? Are you that foolish or do you actually have a wish? What exactly are you trying to gain from the Holy Grail War, Emiya Shirou?"

I was caught completely off gaurd by my servant's blunt interogation, yet regardless I tried to think of an adequate answer.

I did, actually, take all those points into consideration when I made my decision clear to Kotomine not even an hour ago, but...Why did I still go through with it?

To save people, obviously. I know this competition will be dangerous and that I'll be putting my life on the line. But if by doing that means that I'll be preventing the loss of lives then, ultimately, this more than justifies my choice.

Because there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to help others.

"Actually, Emiya-kun," Rin uncomfortably cuts into my line of thought, "I was wanting to ask that too... Although I was planning on being a bit more tactful about it." My school-mate finished with a slight glare directed towards the darker skinned man.

Saber, for her part, was paying rapt attention to our interaction.

"Well...To be honest, I don't have a wish for the grail." I confessed. Rin and Saber were surprised by this.

This night has been just one surprise after another for all of us, I guess. The only one not surprised by this was Archer, whom I'm starting to believe is hardly fazed by anything.

"To be more accurate, I do have a desire. One I don't feel comfortable voicing out loud, but it's a wish I want to fulfill with my own hands. Otherwise it'd be meaningless to me." I finished.

Both Rin and Saber seem to consider my words for a moment before both seemingly accepted my answer.

I suppose it's mostly because of the fact of someone that openly rejects the wish-granting cup.

"That's it?" Archer intones, "So in the end you don't even have a wish you'd want granted and would still risk your life in a war you're unprepared for and incapable of defending yourself from?", he asks incredulously.

Well, when you put it that way, yeah. It seems very dumb in hindsight but I have to do this.

"Yeah, that's exactly right." I concede, "I know it's dangerous but people will get hurt if nothing is done about this."

"Then what makes you think _you_ can do anything about it?"

"I...I'll..." I faltered for a moment.

 _'What can I do?'_ I thought in panic. It repeated in my head faster and faster as I searched for an answer. I understand that my belief in wanting to help others is right...

But it's also true that it's all meaningless if I can't do anything about it.

 _'I can talk them out of it!'_ was a weak solution, in my opinion. There was no way to appeal to a magi's better nature simply because there tends to not be one; Tohsaka being a very clear exception to this rule. But a general rule of thumb to all magi is to cast aside all morals, rules and ethics for the sake of furthering magecraft.

 _'I'll fight them!'_ Was also another possible path. Of course, if you couldn't reason with them then you'd have to beat people down until they're unable to do more harm. But the truth of the matter is that I'm too weak compared to the average magus.

"...I don't know," I admitted. And I hated to do so. I didn't look to see how Rin or Saber reacted to this, rather staring down at the pavement as I mulled my situation over, but I did notice Archer's penetrating gaze bore onto me. "I don't know. I wish I had the answer you're looking for, Archer. Or the right answer. But I don't."

"Then this settles it. I won't accept-"

"But..." I interrupt the white haired man. I finally meet his steel eyes with my own amber, "I do know that the grail chose me for a reason, and that has to mean something. It wouldn't have chosen me if it hadn't found something capable or worthy within me."

Or at least that's what Kotomine led me to believe. Whether I was a First Rate or Third Rate magus didn't seem to matter to the mysterious artifact; it chose me as the seventh master in the end.

Archer released an unimpressed humph, "That's a weak argument and you know it,". He pondered something in his mind before he seemed to come to a conclusion, "I suppose I can accept it for now, though." As he reluctantly spoke, he lightly offered his hand for me to shake.

I was surprised, yet accepted it gratefully.

And as our hands touched I felt something akin to static flow into me and another headache come and go.

Flashes of memories raced through my mind.

 _This same setting, but it was Saber's hand I was shaking - not Archer's._

 _A promise of working together to each achieve our goals and the swelling of admiration towards the beautiful knight coming from my chest._

 _It was as if Fate had brought us together and I readily embraced it._

"Emiya-kun!", Rin spoke up.

I startled but quickly grabbed my bearings as Rin looked impatiently at me, "Sorry, Tohsaka. What did you say?".

"I said that we should get going now. It's already pretty late and I'd like to get a nights sleep."

With a nod I made my way towards her as we began to walk back towards the bus station. Tohsaka and I led our little group with Saber and Archer a few steps behind us. Tohsaka herself maintained herself ahead of me, arms behind her back. We walked silently for a few minutes before an idea popped up into my mind.

"So," I began, "You have a wish for the grail too, Tohsaka-san?"

"I do.", the raven-haired girl said mysteriously. Whether she said it like so on purpose went beyond me.

"So... what is it?" I asked after a few moments of debating. I didn't want to come off as rude but I felt that she was intentionally leading me on to ask her so.

"I'll tell you my wish if you tell me yours.", she said playfully with a mischievous smile.

Caught by surprise, I somewhat staggered before looking at her unbelievably. She didn't forget the side-comment I said about my wish, I see.

"Just kidding,", the red-clad teen giggled. She settled herself down before answering seriously, "To be honest, I don't really have a wish for myself either. What I want is to fulfill my duty as the head of the Tohsaka family and show everyone that my family is the best. Winning the Grail is just a product of that. Once I win the war I'll ask for access to the Root and gain all the knowledge there is about Magecraft. That itself will be undeniable proof that the Tohsakas are a first-class magi family."

"...Wow", is all I'm capable of saying. What else is there to say? That was a very... lofty goal there.

"What about you, Saber?", I ask curiously. I wonder of what the petite female could possibly risk her life over in this Grail War for. And what a legendary figure like herself could want.

The blonde knight seemed a little uncomfortable at my inquiry though, "I'm sorry, but it's a bit personal."

I nod understandably. I fully expected the possibility of being shut down. Undeterred, I promised myself to find out her wish later.

Now, all that left is Archer, "Ar-"

"Wait.", Tohsaka speaks up, "Up there."

And as we approached an uphill street, a small figure could be seen just above in the center of it. We approached cautiously.

"Hello, Big brother. Miss Tohsaka." a fairy-like voice came from the snow haired girl.

It was an odd sight from my point of view, being a little girl in the middle of the night all alone on the street with nothing but the pedestrian lights to keep her company. Yet she stood there without a care in the world as she curtsied elegantly towards us.

Rin turned to look at me suspiciously, yet I didn't face her or try to clear anything up. There wasn't anything to clarify. I hoped that my confused expression drived home the message that I didn't know what was going on.

Something was wrong here... and it was enough to put me on edge.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Rin demanded without any preamble. I'm sure she must've felt the same thing I did. There was an intense air surrounding us. As if we were being looked down by a large predator.

"I am Illyasviel von Einzbern, you may call me Illya." the fairy-girl spoke, not showing even the slightest discomfort to my schoolmate's serious tone. "I see that you finally summoned your servant, Big brother."

I decided then to speak up. "I'm sorry, but I don't recognize you or that name at all. Do I know you from somewhere?"

This seemed like the wrong thing to say. Illya, as she said her name was, turned her sight towards her boots, eyes hidden from the world. "You forgot about me?" she muttered lowly, "Unforgivable."

Tohsaka had long since dropped her suspicion of me and had in exchange replaced it with wary curiousity. Even Saber, who had taken to stand as our vanguard, slightly turned her head towards me; not quite detaching her attention from our newcomer but also very interested in understanding what was going on.

The only one I couldn't get a read on was Archer, who was behind us all, acting as support from the rear.

"I honestly don't know who you are, sorry." was all I could say. And I meant it. I've never seen this girl before yesterday. I'm sure I would've recognised her instantly if I had, with striking features such as her red eye color and white hair being hard to forget.

Of course, Illyasviel didn't seem to care about any of this.

"Berserker," the fairy-girl called out sweetly, but her smile seemed anything but sweet. What followed was the familiar gathering of mana giving form to a figure.

Only that this figure was immense.

Larger than any human I had ever seen.

Could this thing even be called human?

He was easily over two meters high. Long disheveled hair with grayish skin. One eye an angry yellow and the other a mad red. He wore an armor that would have better fitted a gladiator and the man was equally built as one. Finally, he carried a sword (?). A slab of rock as long as his arm that was sharpened at its edges. A weapon that could barely pass as a sword at all.

"What... is that?" I found myself uttering.

"This is my servant, Berserker. I was initially hoping to see what kind of servant you'd pull out, Big brother, but I'm disappointed." The red-eyed girl looked Archer up and down before looking back at me. "He's barely average in every stat except luck. And that's only because it's D rank." Illyasviel released an exasperated sigh, "I don't know what Dad saw in you but as far as I can see you're not even worth the effort to fight."

The mention of Kiritsugu surprised me, but she didn't stop to let me process it.

The fairy-like girl turned her sights to Tohsaka and Saber, "You, on the other hand, I believe would make an excellent challenge for my servant." Her red eyes seemed to stare down at the pair as if they were prey.

As she spoke the giant beast of a man placed itself in front of the much smaller girl (she barely reached its thighs!), holding its weapon at the ready. At the same time, Saber caught onto what would come next and prepared her invisible weapon.

The dark skinned beast released an inhuman roar that sent a small gust of wind towards the sky. Its feet cracked the asphalt, the road was incapable of sustaining the pressure that Berserker exerted and the veins from the beast's neck pulsated and bulged along with its muscles. It was only once he was finished and that everything settled that Illyasviel spoke once more, this time with a sing-song voice.

"Alright, Berserker. Kill them."

And everything descended into madness.

* * *

 **AN: Hello, there! Sorry for the one year absence... I can only say for myself that life got complicated and working while going to university is very demanding.**

 **Although it took ridiculously long time I finally posted this chapter! And it's my longest one to date. There's nothing much to say other than that I hopefully won't take another year to post the next one. I do have the outlines ready for the next three chapters but that doesn't mean squat unless I actually type and post them.**

 **Well, I'll see you when I see you.**

 **Please read and review!**

 **-InfamouslyHandsome**


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